PHOTOS THAT INSPIRE PHOTO WORKSHOP

Chapter 6. Architecture and Urban Scenes

Architectural style and urban scenery are what gives a town or city its character, ranging from the high-rise buildings of Manhattan to the simple adobe structures in Santa Fe to city-specific scenes like subways. As with landscape photography, you must decide what it is about a building or an urban scene that appeals to you, and what makes you want to photograph it. With architecture, each building has its own character, whether it's a sleek, glass-and-chrome museum or a warm, homey residence. Think about what qualities you want to emphasize, and then look for the vantage points and light that help you portray these features. There may be times when you want to zoom in on small details that characterize a building's architectural style, or perhaps you want to step back and include a cityscape on a grander scale. Including people in your photos can help give scale to urban buildings, besides adding a little hustle and bustle to a scene.

After photographing an entire building, try isolating its unique and interesting architectural details — this may result in your strongest photos. In this image, the photographer has highlighted the complimentary colors of the building's blue windows against red bricks, as well as revealing some interesting patterns. To get great shots of architectural details, you must compose tightly. Fill the frame solely with your subject so that there's no question about what you were shooting.

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